Riley Cooper Has Agreed to Re-Sign With the Eagles

The Eagles have re-signed wide receiver Riley Cooper to a five-year, $25 million contract.  Cooper caught 47 passes for 835 yards and eight touchdowns, doing a majority of his damage once Nick Foles took over the starting job.

Cooper gets the free agent deal after an interesting start to his 2013 season.

However, it seems Cooper had the support of head coach Chip Kelly, who stood behind Cooper through an incredibly difficult time following Cooper's drunken, racist remarks at a Kenny Chesney concert that surfaced in July.

“Riley is one of the toughest and hardest-working guys in our locker room," Kelly said.  "We talk a lot about how players have to make the most of their opportunities, and he did just that last year. He used his size, strength and speed to make a lot of big plays for our team and I’m excited to watch him build upon his success.”

The main question is, was this a smart move by the Eagles?  Would he have been welcomed into any other locker room as a free agent?  Furthermore, does he have the ability to separate consistently?

Regardless, the 6'3/222 Cooper is a reasonable complement to DeSean Jackson because he brings red-zone ability and a willingness to go over the middle and showed a nose for the end-zone, scoring eight touchdowns on just 47 catches.  HE is also a very capable blocker - a must in Kelly's offense, getting downfield and springing lanes for LeSean McCoy.

“Riley’s a tough player who can not only go up and catch the football and make big plays, but who also takes a great amount of pride in his ability to block and be physical down the field," Eagles GM Howie Roseman stated in a statement from the team. "He made the most of his opportunities last year and we all expect him to build upon that. Riley wants to be an Eagle and expressed that several times to us throughout this process. We were very excited to get this done before the start of free agency.”

Another eye-popping number for Cooper was his 17.8 yards per catch, showing big-play ability, time-after-time and becoming a favorite down-field target for Foles.